CONCENTRATIONS OF LEAD AND OTHER METALS IN BLOOD OF 2 AND 3 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN LIVING NEAR A SECONDARY SMELTER

In 108 two-and three-year-old children the concentration of lead, cadmium, manganese, and zinc in blood, of free erythrocyte porphyrin in erythrocytes, and of haemoglobin and haematocrit were measured. The relation with distance of residence to a secondary smelter and with socio-economic class was studied. The ranges were for PbB 45-383 ppb, CdB 0.2-3.5 ppb, ZnB 2.0-9.7 ppm, MnB 2.7-14.1 ppb, FEP 10.5-138.9 μg/100 ml rbc. PbB was influenced independently by the distance to the source of emission and by the socioeconomic class. FEP increased with PbB; Hb and Ht were not affected. The results suggest that the Biological Quality Guide for blood lead as adopted in the European Community may have to be lowered for young children. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.